While the problem of High Memory Usage by Microsoft Edge is more commonly reported by users of budget computers that usually come with 4 GB RAM capacity, it can also occur on computers with higher RAM capacity.
This happens, due to the default tendency of Microsoft Edge browser to speed up browsing on Windows computers by making use of all the resources that are available on the computer.
Luckily, it is possible to fix the problem of High Memory Usage by Microsoft Edge browser by disabling certain default settings that are associated with this issue.
Fix High Memory Usage By Microsoft Edge in Windows 11
If the Microsoft Edge browser on your Windows 11/10 computer is hogging up resources, you should be able to fix the problem using the following steps.
1. Close Idle Browser Tabs
The most common reason for High Memory usage by any web browser is due to multiple browsing tabs being left open on the computer.
Hence, cultivate the habit of closing browser tabs, as soon as you are done using them. If you usually find the need to open multiple tabs, you can enable sleeping tabs option as provided in the next step.
2. Enable Sleeping Tabs
If the nature of your work requires you to open multiple tabs, Microsoft Edge provides the option to reduce resource usage by enabling Sleeping Tabs.
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
2. Once you are in the browser, click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
3. On the Settings screen, select System and performance in the left pane. In the right-pane, scroll down and move the toggle next to Save Resources with Sleeping Tabs to ON position.
You can save additional resources by enabling Fade Sleeping Tabs option.
3. Enable Efficiency Mode
Microsoft Edge also provides the option to reduce resource usage by enabling the efficiency mode.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select System and performance in the left pane. In the right-pane, move the toggle next to Efficiency Mode to ON position.
This should lead to noticeable reduction in CPU & RAM usage by Microsoft Edge on your computer.
4. Disable Hardware Acceleration
While the hardware acceleration feature can help in speeding up Microsoft Edge, it has also been associated with High Resource Usage.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > Click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select System and performance tab in the left pane. In the right-pane, move the toggle next to Use Hardware Acceleration When Available to OFF position.
5. Disable Background Apps and Extensions
Another way to prevent Microsoft Edge from unnecessarily using up Memory and CPU on your computer is to prevent the browser from running Apps and Extensions in background.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select System and performance tab in the left pane. In the right-pane, move the toggle next to Continue Running background Extensions and Apps… to OFF position.
After implementing above changes, you should find Microsoft Edge running smoothly and consuming less RAM and CPU on your computer.
6. Disable Startup Boost
While the Start boost feature in Microsoft Edge is designed to quickly launch the browser, it can also lead to excessive resource usage.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select System and performance tab in the left pane. In the right-pane, move the toggle next to Startup boost to OFF position.
After this, restart the browser and monitor the resource usage on your computer.
7. Clear Browser Cache
The browser cache can often get clogged up with expired, broken and corrupted files, which can slow down the browser.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > Click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, select Privacy, search and services tab in the left pane. In the right-pane, click on Choose What to Clear.
3. On Clear browsing data pop-up, select All Time as the Time Range, select Browsing History, Cookies, Cached Images/files, other items and click on Clear Now button.
8. Update Microsoft Edge Browser
Make sure that the latest version of Microsoft Edge is installed on your computer.
1. Open Microsoft Edge browser > Click on Three-dots icon and select Settings in the drop-down menu.
2. On the Settings screen, scroll down and click on About Microsoft Edge in the left-pane. In the right-pane, you will find Microsoft Edge checking for updates.
Wait for Windows to check and download the latest Microsoft Edge update on your computer. After the browser is updated, restart the computer.
9. Remove Browser Extensions
The problem of High Memory usage by Microsoft Edge might be due an incompatible browser extensions.
1. Open Microsoft Edge in Private Mode > click on 3-dots icon and select Extensions in the drop-dow menu.
2. On the next screen, click on Manage Extensions. On the Extensions screen, you can disable extensions by moving the toggle to OFF position and delete extensions by clicking on the Remove option.
Note: If you do want to use an extension, simply disable the extension and see if this improves the performance of Edge browser on your computer.
10. Scan the Computer for Malware
Presence of adware and malware programs can lead to various problem on the computer, including the problem of High Resource Usage.
You can confirm this by running Windows Defender Virus Scan and also by using the Scan feature as available in the third-party antivirus program installed on your computer.